Policy-file.



T. F. KING, JR- & 1). G. HALL.

POLICY FILE.

APPLI01'I'ION FILED SEPT.23, 1910.

Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

WITNESSES:

THOMAS F. KING, JR., F PAWTUCKET, AND DANA G. "HALL,

@FFTQE.

OF ORANSTON, RHODE ISLAND; SAID HALL ASSIGNOR TO SAID KING, JR.

POLICY-FILE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

lPZLiZGfiiJQtl Dec. 20, 191%.

Application filed September 23, 1910. Serial No. 583,392.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS F. KING, J1'., and DANA G. HALL, citizens of the United States, residing at Pawtucket and Cranston, respectively, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Policy-Files, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to boxes or receptacles having compartments for the preservation, in accessible condition and positions, of several different kinds of papers, although all of said papers relate to the same general business.

The particular object of the present invention is to provide a filing box having compartments for holding industrial fire insurance policies, and the premium receipt books relating to those policies, all so located and held as to be quickly found for reference when desired, the premium books which are most frequently handled being the most accessible articles contained in the box.

To these ends the invention consists in the compartment filing box substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is perspective view of a filing box constructed in accordance with our invention, the cover or lid being opened, the upper compartments being occupied by insurance premium books the lower compartments beingoccupied by monthly index cards or sheets. Fig. 2 represents a vertical sect-ion from front to rear, the lid or cover being closed, and the premium books and index cards being omitted.

The body 1 of the box is provided with a top shelf or horizontal partition 2, the space above said shelf being divided by vertical partitions 3. Preferably said space is divided, as shown in Fig. l, to receive the ordinary premium receipt books i in which the agents or collectors enter the weekly amounts paid. One of the partitions 3 is shown as extending from end to end of the body to form a long narrow compartment for receiving such articles as lead pencils.

The front of the body 1 below the top shelf or partition 2 is cut away or omitted, and the space below said partition 2 divided by a series of lower shelves or horizontal partitions 5 the front edges of which are preferably formed with notches 6 to enable papers in the compartments to be more readily grasped and drawn out. The compartments between the partitions 5 extend the full length and width of the body and are, in practice, of such size as to accommodate industrial insurance policies in flat condition. In each of these wide compartments is a set of monthly index cards or sheets 7, one for each month of the year, so that any policy having a dividend payable any given month may be located easily at any time, by looking for the same according to the name of the month appearing at the margin of the proper index card or sheet. In Fig. 1 the space below the lowest horizontal partition 5 is shown as divided into several smaller compartments, but these latter small compartments may be omitted if desired. They are preferred however in order to form convenient receptacles for folded policies or papers, such as fire insurance policies or ordinary life insurance policies not of the industrial class and which do not need fre quent handling for reference.

A cover consisting of a top 8, front 9 and ends 10 is connected by a suitable hinge structure to the top of the rear wall of the body 1 and isshown as connected by a tape or strap 11 with said body so that the cover may be held in up-turned position as shown in Fig. l. lVhen this cover is turned down to the position shown in Fig. 2 it simultaneously closes the compartments which open at the top of the body and those which open at the front of the body. It will readily be seen that access can be quickly gained to any of the papers within the file, by simply lifting the cover.

There are at present three well known in dustrial insurance companies in the United States. Many families have policies in all three companies, and frequently several policies in any one, or each, of said companies. The policies pay certain dividends in certain months. The top compartments of the policy file are to be used for the premium receipt books belonging to any one family. Said books are required each week by the insured and the insurance collector. Of the many thousands of families paying industrial insurance, few if any have one regular place in which the premium receipt books are kept; and in the absence of the usual member of the family who pays the insurance Pl'OlIliillllS, other members of the family often pay and place the book in some place not familiar to the absent one. In this and many other ways, both the insured and the collector waste much valuable time while the desired book is being hunted for. The policies themselves are so freqi'iently mislaid that dividends due upon them are never paid because the agent must see them in order to pay the dividends. And of course policies frequently become totally lost or destroyed by fire. With the policies and the premium books, all of which relate to the same fea ture of industrial economy, all assembled in one filing box, risl: of loss by tire is greatly reduced because the box, owing to its value, would usually be one of the first things to be carried out of the house. Other ditliculties arising in connection with the collection of industrial insurance premiums, and the payment of dividends are that in the event of death the policy will always be ready for the beneficiary to present to the company for his or her claim. Many policy holders of this class of insurance are of foreign birth and in many cases are not certain as to their age. If the beneficiary has the policy, he oi she can state the age of the deceased as it appears on the policy; but if the policy is lost, there is nothing to guide the beneficiary regarding such age and therefore claims are frequently cut down on account of the difference in age as cited by the beneficiary and the age vritten on the policy.

The file requires practically no folding of the policies thus preserving them for a life time, while it now happens very often to every collector that many policies become so torn and dilapidated that the people must procure duplicate policies for which they have to pay.

We claim 1. A filing box comprising a body having an open top and an open front, horizontal partitions dividing the same into a plurality of compartments substantially the full horizontal area of the boX, the upper compartment being sub-divided into smaller compartments, and means for closing all of said compartments, said means comprising a cover having both a top and front portion to simultaneously expose or close the top and the lower compartments.

2. A filing box comprising a body having separate compartments which are open at the top and front of said body, monthly index cards or sheets located in compartments which open at the front of the body, and a cover for simultaneously exposing or closing all of said compartments.

In testimony whereof we atfix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS F. KING, JR. DANA G. HALL.

lVitnesses HOWARD E. BAnLoW, E. I. OGDEN. 

